Good News: Scientists turn back the clock on skin cells and plant-based foods make billions

Headlines can be hard going but some news is good news. This is your weekly digest of what’s going well in the world...

1. Scientists have discovered a technique to rewind the age of skin cells by 30 years

2. Plant-based foods are breaking records with billions in sales

3. The unexpected positive side effect of one social media platform

4. A new law to end oil and gas research and exploration in Quebec

5. The professor powering his Tesla with his very own portable solar panels

Watch the video above for more on each story, or read on below...

Did you look in the mirror this morning and wish you could turn the clock back a few years?

A new technique developed by the Babraham Institute, a life sciences research institution and partner of the University of Cambridge, has brought us closer to just that. They have rewound the biological clock of skin cells by 30 years.

The rejuvenated cells showed signs of behaving more like youthful cells in experiments that simulated a skin wound. And the impact could extend beyond our vanity – the research could be used in regenerative medicine to tackle other problems of ageing including aches, pains, illness, slower mental response and a slower capacity to heal.

Professor Wolf Reik, who led the research, said the work has "very exciting implications".

He said: "We may be able to identify genes that rejuvenate without reprogramming, and specifically target those to reduce the effects of ageing. This approach holds promise for valuable discoveries that could open up an amazing therapeutic horizon.”

The cell scientists have rejuvenated is called a fibroblast. It produces collagen, which is a molecule not only found in the skin but also in our bones, tendons and ligaments, helping provide structure to